Carpetbagger TN-5 Candidate Morgan Ortagus Endorses Candidate in Oklahoma Senate Race

Alex Gray and Morgan Ortagus

In an unusual move, carpetbagger and current candidate in Tennessee’s Republican primary for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional district Morgan Ortagus, has chosen to endorse a candidate in the Oklahoma U.S. Senate race.

In a tweet, Ortagus endorsed former Trump administration national security official Alex Gray for the retiring U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe’s seat, saying “I am eager to join my friends and Trump Admin colleagues @RichardGrenell and @robertcobrien in endorsing Alex Gray for U.S. Senate! Just as he did in the White House, Alex will work every day to put America First.”

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GOP Primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District Attracts Another Carpetbagger

Recent New York transplant David M. Vitalli, who told a magazine that he’s a JFK Democrat and will run for President of the United States in 2024, has joined fellow carpetbaggers Morgan Ortagus and Robby Starbuck in the Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.

Vitalli is listed as collecting petitions for the TN-5 GOP primary by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office and he has filed FEC paperwork. Twelve other individuals are currently collecting petitions for the TN-5 GOP primary.

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Exclusive: Former Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell Announces TN-5 Campaign Team

In an exclusive release provided to The Tennessee Star, former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell announced her campaign team for her run in race for the GOP nomination in Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional district.

TLC Political’s Chasen Bullock and Alex Meyer are serving as the general consultants. Former Chairman the Williamson County Election Commission Bob Brown was tapped to serve as campaign manager. Rachel Barrett and Reid Witcher of Rachel Barrett and Company are serving as the campaign’s in-state fundraisers. TAG Strategies is handling the digital fundraising. 1892 LLC is the campaign’s pollster. FP1’s Chris LaCivita and Annie Kelly Kuhle are providing the advertising services.

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Carpetbagger Morgan Ortagus Dodges Questions from The Tennessee Star: ‘You Need to Stop Being Mean to Me’

The former State Department spokesman and candidate in the GOP primary for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional district is clearly feeling the pressure of and takes issue with The Tennessee Star’s reporting on her parachute candidacy, telling The Star, “You need to stop being mean to me.” Ortagus did not take questions from The Star about her campaign.

Carpetbagger Morgan Ortagus made her unprompted remark to The Star as several people were milling about the room after a local Republican meeting of the Bellevue Breakfast Club, which took place Saturday morning at Plantation Pub. On several occasions prior to the unprompted remark, Ortagus campaign staff told The Star that she didn’t have time for questions about her campaign. Campaign staff made it clear that they would not allow The Star to ask Ortagus questions about the campaign. If allowed, The Star would have asked if Ortagus has attained residency in the district or not.

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Latest Candidate in the TN-5 GOP Primary Is Currently on Trial for Charges Related to January 6

Stewart Parks, the latest candidate to announce that he is actively running in the Republican primary ballot for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, is also currently facing charges stemming from the January 6 Capitol incident. Parks is also collecting qualifying petitions.

The Tennessee Star confirmed with Parks that he is indeed the individual that is facing federal charges in connection with the events of January 6, 2021. Parks told The Star, “I did nothing wrong.” He also said that he believes the charges will have no logistical effect on his ability to campaign for TN-5.

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Retired Brig. General and TN-5 GOP Primary Candidate Kurt Winstead Announces Key Campaign Personnel

Retired Brig. General Kurt Winstead announced key personnel additions to his campaign for the Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th congressional district.

The Winstead campaign announced that Chris Devaney, campaign manager for Governor Bill Lee’s 2018 campaign, will serve as senior advisor to the campaign. Kim Kaegi, a veteran of numerous successful campaigns across Tennessee, will serve as the campaign finance consultant. Jimmy Granbery will serve as the campaign finance chairman. Granbery is currently the chairman of the H.G. Hill Company and CEO of H.G. Hill Realty Company.

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Dodge Ball: Pompeo Ducks When The Tennessee Star Questions His Support for TN-5 Carpetbagger Candidate Morgan Ortagus

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo continues to duck the questions when The Tennessee Star asked for comment on his support for TN-5 carpetbagger candidate Morgan Ortagus.

After Ortagus’ recent appearance on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, The Tennessee Star reached out to Secretary Pompeo’s CAV-PAC team for comment and to ask what consideration was given prior to endorsing Ortagus.

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Ortagus Campaign D.C. Fundraiser with Never Trumpers and Fired State Dept. Staffer Still Scheduled to Take Place on Ash Wednesday

Despite it falling on Ash Wednesday, sources tell The Tennessee Star Morgan Ortagus, a candidate for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District and former State Department spokesman, still has a scheduled out-of-state fundraiser in Washington, D.C. with a host committee that includes Never Trumpers and a fired State Department staffer who tweeted that President Trump was unfit for office.

The Star previously reported that the point of contact for the fundraising event is professional fundraiser Lisa Spies, a former staffer for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in 2012 and a 2016 Never Trumper who has a history of opposing President Trump.

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Tennessee State Senate Staffer Says He Thinks He’ll Be the Donald Trump Candidate in TN-5 GOP Primary

Tres Wittum

A Tennessee state Senate staffer is considering running in the Republican primary for the 5th Congressional District and says that he thinks he’ll be the Donald Trump-endorsed candidate if he runs.

Charles Garfield Wittum III aka Tres Wittum, a senate aide to Senator Bo Watson (R-Hixson), has told The Tennessee Star that he is considering entering the already crowded Republican field for TN-5.

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Eleven Candidates Now Collecting Qualifying Petitions for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District Republican Primary Ballot

Tennessee Capitol building

Eleven individuals are now collecting qualifying petitions for the Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional district Republican primary ballot. Including three Democrats and three Independents, a total of seventeen people are collecting petitions in order to qualify to run for office under Party and state rules.

The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office posts the names of individuals who are collecting qualifying petitions for various Tennessee elections every Friday. The latest individuals to begin collecting petitions to earn their spot on the Republican primary ballot for TN-5 ballot are former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell, businessman Baxter Lee, and Stewart Parks. All are listed as being from Nashville.

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Former Brigadier General Kurt Winstead Formally Announces Candidacy for TN-5, Joining a Crowded GOP Field

Former Brigadier General Kurt Winstead has formally announced his candidacy for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, entering the Republican primary.

Winstead formally joins the Republican field that includes former Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell, businessman Baxter Lee, Natisha Brooks, California native Robby Starbuck, and recent Tennessee immigrant and former State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus. Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles has not yet announced whether his will enter the race or not.

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Former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell Announces Candidacy for GOP Nomination in TN-5 Congressional District Race

Former Tennessee Speaker of the House of Representatives Beth Harwell announced Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy her candidacy for the Republican nomination for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional district.

Harwell, a Tennessee resident for more than thirty years, was the first woman to serve as the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives.

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Former Trump Cabinet Member Ric Grenell Endorses Morgan Ortagus for TN-5, Pulling Prior Robby Starbuck Endorsement

Former Director of National Intelligence and the first openly gay cabinet member in U.S. History, Ric Grenell, has endorsed Morgan Ortagus for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional district seat.

Prior to redistricting, Grenell had endorsed Robby Starbuck but he has pulled that endorsement. Both the Ortagus campaign and the Starbuck campaign have confirmed that Grenell’s previous endorsement of Starbuck was pulled.

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Bannon’s WarRoom Discusses ‘Super Neo-Con’ Morgan Ortagus’ Upcoming D.C. Fundraiser ‘Filled with Trump Adversaries’

The Tennessee Star’s Aaron Gulbransen appeared on Bannon’s War Room Wednesday to discuss his report on Morgan Ortagus’ upcoming fundraiser in Washington, D.C., where the congressional hopeful will be hosted by a former Trump administration State Department staffer who was fired for tweeting that President Trump was unfit for office, as well as several NeverTrumpers.

War Room host Steve Bannon began, “Morgan Ortagus – have you heard her name? She worked for Pompeo in the State Department – a super neo-con. She’s announced. She went district shopping in to run for Congress. She found it in the great state of Tennessee.”

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Pompeo Endorses Morgan Ortagus for TN-5, But Dodges Questions on Her Carpetbagger Status

Former Trump administration Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has endorsed Morgan Ortagus in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Tennessee Star reached out to Secretary Pompeo’s team for comment on his endorsement of Ortagus and Secretary Pompeo’s team dodged the issue of her recent immigration to Tennessee.

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Ortagus Holds Out-of-State Fundraiser in D.C., Host Committee Includes Never Trumpers and Fired State Dept. Staffer

The host committee for an out-of-state fundraiser for the Morgan Ortagus for Congress campaign includes a former Trump administration State Department staffer who was fired for tweeting that President Trump was unfit for office, as well as several Never Trumpers.

Former Trump administration State Department spokesman and candidate for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional district Morgan Ortagus will be in Washington, D.C. on Ash Wednesday, March 2, 2022 to attend this fundraiser for her campaign.

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Former Tennessee Speaker of the House Beth Harwell Talking to TN-5 Voters, Possibly Nearing Decision on Whether to Run

Beth Harwell

Former Tennessee Speaker of the House Beth Harwell may be nearing a decision on whether to run for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional district seat.

Speaker Harwell told The Tennessee Star that she’s still considering whether to run. “I’m in the process of doing that right now.”

Harwell said that she has three factors in mind when considering a congressional bid. “One, you need to talk to people in the district and see what they want from their U.S. Representative in Congress. Two, you need to make sure your base of political and financial support is in place.”

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Fourteen Candidates Collecting Petitions in Race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District

Tennessee State flag

The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office has posted their updated list of individuals who have begun collecting petitions to run for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.

Fourteen candidates are collecting petitions for the 5th Congressional seat: Eight Republicans, three Democrats, and three Independents are listed by the Secretary of State’s office as having begun collecting petitions.

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Morgan Ortagus’ Campaign Says Her ‘Voting Record Shows She Voted in Every Election’ She Was Eligible For

Former Trump administration State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus’ campaign said her voting record shows that she voted in every election she was eligible to vote in. Ortagus announced her candidacy for the GOP nomination in Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District earlier this month.

The Tennessee Star obtained a document that is believed to be Morgan Ortagus’ New York voting records. This document shows that Ms. Ortagus voted in the 2016 GOP presidential primary and the general elections in 2014, 2016, and 2018 in New York State. According to these records, she did not vote in the NY 2018 statewide GOP primary or the NY GOP 2014 primaries.

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Quincy McKnight Drops Out of TN-5 Republican Primary, Endorses Ortagus, and Announces Run for Nashville Mayor

The candidate field in the Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional seat has shrunk, with one candidate dropping out.

In a statement given to The Tennessee Star, Nashville businessman Quincy McKnight announced that he is dropping out of the race and is endorsing former Trump administration State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus.

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U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw Endorses Morgan Ortagus for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District Seat

U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-2)  has made an endorsement in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.

Rep. Crenshaw has endorsed former Trump administration State Department Spokesman Morgan Ortagus. Crenshaw’s endorsement came when he retweeted Ortagus’ announcement video, saying “Proud to stand with you Morgan. See you in Congress.”

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Records Shock: House Hopeful Morgan Ortagus Does Not Live in the 5th Congressional District

Morgan Ortagus

Records indicate that a candidate running in the Tennessee 5th Congressional District Republican primary does not live in the district.

Records read to The Tennessee Star say that former Trump administration State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus’ current address is in the 7th Congressional District, not the 5th District that she is seeking to represent.

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Tennessee Candidates for Public Office Begin Collecting Petitions

brown clipboard

February 7, 2022 marked the official start of Tennessee’s elections season, the day that candidates in Tennessee could pull ballot qualifying petitions paperwork and begin collecting petitions to work towards gaining ballot access.

The Thursday, August 4, 2022 state and federal primary elections will be held for Governor, U.S. House of Representatives, odd-numbered Tennessee State Senate districts and Tennessee State House of Representatives. There will also be general elections held for held for state judicial offices and applicable county offices.

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Recent TN-5 Republican Primary Entrant Baxter Lee Voted in 2020 Democrat Presidential Primary

Baxter Lee

Records show that a recent entrant into the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat, businessman Baxter Lee, voted in the 2020 Democrat presidential primary. 

The Tennessee Star reached out to Baxter Lee to confirm the authenticity of the voting record supplied by the Williamson County Election Commission. Lee confirmed the records and issued a statement on his vote in the 2020 Democrat presidential primary.

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Morgan Ortagus Officially Enters GOP Primary Race in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District

Morgan Ortagus

Former Trump Administration State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus officially announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination to represent Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District early Monday morning.

Ortagus’ campaign sent out a press release announcing the candidacy, along with a campaign video. Ortagus then joined Nashville’s Morning News with Dan Mandis to discuss her candidacy. Mandis immediately asked her about her previous comments disparaging President Trump.

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Robby Starbuck Admits He Never Voted in Tennessee 2020 GOP Primaries: ‘I Wasn’t a Full-Time Resident . . . I Was Still Closing Down My Business in California’

Candidate for U.S. Representative for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District Robby Starbuck admits that he’s never voted in Tennessee Republican primaries.

Starbuck also acknowledges that he’ll need to be vouched for as a bona fide Republican as part of the Tennessee GOP’s candidate qualification process.

The political newcomer appeared on Nashville’s Morning News with Dan Mandis on 99.7WTN Thursday morning to discuss, among other things, the controversy surrounding his voter history. Starbuck had previously claimed more than once to have voted in two 2020 GOP primaries in Tennessee, but he recently started backing off that claim in a Facebook comment.

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Robby Starbuck Claims He Never Said That He Voted in Tennessee GOP Primaries, Says He Misunderstood Question

Candidate for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District Robby Starbuck appears to be backing off his claims about his voter history, writing on social media that he never said he voted in 2020 and that he misunderstood the question.

More than once, Robby Starbuck claimed to have voted in the August 2020 primary as well as the March presidential primary in 2020. Voting in Republican primaries is a component of the process for qualifying for the 2022 August primary ballot.

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Despite Robby Starbuck’s Claims, Wilson County Republican Chair Says Starbuck Didn’t Send Him Anything About His Voting Record

Doubt continues to be cast on Robby Starbuck’s claims about his Republican primary voting record.

On multiple occasions, Starbuck claimed that he voted in the August of 2020 and March of 2020 Tennessee Republican primaries. Records provided by Williamson County election officials, where he lives and is registered to vote, contradict those claims.

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Voting History Claims Made by Starbuck Not Confirmed by Williamson County GOP Chair

Robby Starbuck, a candidate for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District’s claims about his voting history were not confirmed by the Williamson County Republican Chair.

Robby Starbuck previously claimed that he voted in August of 2020 and March of 2020 Tennessee Republican primaries when records provided by Williamson County election officials showed that he did not vote in either. In statements provided to The Tennessee Star, Starbuck referenced conversations with Williamson County GOP Chair, Cheryl Brown, to support his claims.

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TN-5 Congressional Candidate Robby Starbuck Posts Profanity-Laced Video After The Tennessee Star Questioned Him About His Primary Voting Record

Less than 24 hours after The Tennessee Star asked TN-5 Congressional candidate Robby Starbuck to address questions about his voting record raised by documents obtained from Williamson County election officials, Starbuck released a video taken from a scene from The Wolf of Wall Street where the criminal defends himself before his employees.

In his version, Starbuck superimposed his own face on the face of Jordan Belfort, played Leonardo DiCaprio, using the audio from the movie The Wolf of Wall Street. In 1999, Belfort pled guilt to fraud and other crimes in connection to stock market manipulation and a penny stock scam. He spent 22 months in prison as part of a plea agreement where he testified against partners and subordinates. The Wolf of Wall Street also depicted numerous incidents of drug use, sex, and an instance where a male high on drugs sexually gratified himself.

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Records Show Robby Starbuck Has Never Voted in a Tennessee GOP Primary, Making TN-5 Candidate Vulnerable to Ballot Challenge

Robby Starbuck, who formally declared his run for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District in June 2021, just two years after moving to Tennessee from California, told The Tennessee Star on Saturday “I don’t feel it’s necessary” to explain why he claimed in a January 21 radio interview with The Tennessee Star Report that he voted in two Tennessee GOP primaries in 2020, when voting records provided to The Tennessee Star by Williamson County officials show that he did not vote in either 2020 Tennessee GOP primary.

Tennessee Republican Party bylaws require active Republicans to have either (1) voted in three of the last four GOP primaries or (2) to have their “bona fide” status vouched for by Republicans in the district they seek to represent and then approved in a majority vote by a specially assembled committee of the Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee in order qualify to be on the August 2022 GOP primary ballot.

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